Ironing machine



Jan. 4, 1944.' w BRADLEY 2,338,163

IRONING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W ENVEJOITPCK/ v /7//'0997 rad/e vw 5 11% Jan. 4, 1944. w. H. BRADLEY IRONING MACHINE s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1940 ad/e fizz 2w rmasya Jan. 4, 1944. w. H. BRADLEY IRONING- MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 19, 1940 Patented Jan. 4, 1944 IRONIN G MACHINE William H. Bradley,

Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor;

by mesne assignments, to Horton Manufacturing Company, of Indiana Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation Application June 19, 1940, Serial No. 341,220

20 Claims. (c1. sit-so) The invention relates generally to ironing machines and more particularly to an ironing machine of the roll and shoe type.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 279,377}

filed June 15, 1939, and abandoned Nov. 27, 1942.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel ironing machine of the roll and shoe type, of such size and weight that it may be easily lifted and placed on any available table suitable for the work, which has a capacity equal to or nearly equal to much heavier poweractuated ironing machines for domestic use, and which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction, thus making it particularly advantageous for ordinary household use.

Another object is to provide a novel ironing machine having its control members so placed as to attain the greatest convenience, thus facilitating the work of ironing.

It is also an object to provide an ironing machine of the roll and shoe type havingthe control member for shifting'the roll and shoe relative to each other, and the control member for preventing operation of the roll for the purpose of utilizing the machine for pressing, placed together as a unit so that both members may be operated by one hand.

A further object is to provide an ironing machine having a novel shoe-supporting arm provided with means for shifting the shoe and with a motor switch operable to controlthe motor as an incident to the shifting of the shoe.

Still another object is to provide an ironing machine having a shoe controlling handle so located as to afford the greatest convenience, and a pressing control member embodied in the shoe controlling handle and constructed so that it may be momentarily moved to pressing position, or may be locked in such position so that the operator's hands are free..

A still further object is to provide an ironing machine having a shoe controlling handle or lever extending upwardly above the machine and connected thereto in such a manner that it may be turned down alongside the machine, thus greatly reducing the spacerequired for the machine in its shipping container.

Other objects reside in providing in an ironing machine of the foregoing general character a novel reenforced construction for the base of the machine, conveniently providing concealed space for electrical wiring; a novel motor and gearing mounting; and a simplified pawl and ratchet drive for the roll.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 ls an end view on a reduced scale oi an ironing machine embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2' of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the axis of the roll.

Fig. 4 is an end view partially in section and on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to a portion of Fig. 4 but showing the parts in a diiferent relation.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the roll drive mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3 and showing the base of the machine.

Fig. 8 is a View of the underside of the base.

The ironing machine disclosed herein is of the roll and shoe type and comprises generally a base, indicated at It), and a support, indicated at H, located at one end of the base-for supporting a roll I 2. shoe l3 shiftably supported intermediate its ends by means indicated generally at M.

In the preferred construction, the shoe supporting means It includes a toggle for shifting the shoe toward and from the roll, which toggle is operated by a hand lever extending upwardly and over the shoe and roll. Thus the hand lever occupies a position convenient to the operator and will not be covered up by articles being ironed which extend beyond the ends of the roll. The roll is rotated by means of a motor, the circuit for which is controlled as an incident to the operation of the shoe shifting means It, so that the roll remains stationary when the shoe is out of contact therewith and will be rotated when the shoe and roll are in engagement. For pressing purposes, means is incorporated in the hand lever by which the shoe is shifted for preventing operation of the roll when the shoe is in engagement thbrewitlr. Said means may be either momentarily operated or may be locked in operating position. Because of the fact that the hand lever extends up over the shoe and roll, and thus would require some space in a shipping container, it is detachably connected to the shoe shifting means H so that it may be removed from such position and placed alon side Coacting with the roll is a the shoe to materially lessen the size of the shipping container reduired.

The base it! is of a novel sheet metal construction which is reenforced and stiffened by means which provides a concealed space for the electric wiring of the machine. The motor and the gearing connecting the motor with the roll are mounted in a simple manner whereby they are concealed from view. The preferred construction also includes a simplified arrangement in the roll drive gearing which utilizes a pinion both to drive a gear and to function as a ratchet.

The shoe supporting means |4 comprises a fixed support (see Figs. 3 and 4) secured to the base I0. The fixed support is provided with a pair of spaced ears 2 supporting a pivot pin 22 on which is mounted a swinging upright member or arm 23. The arm 23 has a channel-shaped structure opening rearwardly and generally tapering towards its upper end, and the latter is shaped to provide a pair of spaced ears 24 through which a pivot pin 25 extends. The shoe I3 on its rear face is provided with a pair of cars 26 which are also mounted on the pivot pin 25, thereby permitting the shoe I3 to adjust itself to the contour of the roll and to the articles passing between the roll and the shoe.

To swing the arm 23 and thereby shift the shoe toward and from the roll, a toggle is provided which preferably is mounted within the channel shape of the arm 23 and substantially fills the rear or open face thereof. In the present instance the toggle comprises a lower member 30 which is also of channel form and which has its lower end pivotally supported by a pin 3| mounted in the fixed support 20 and located rearwardly of the pivot pin 22. The upper member of the toggle comprises a cross pin 32 pivotally mounted in the lower member 30 and a screw 33 radially.

threaded into the cross pin 32 and slidably extending through the pivot pin 25 upon which the shoe is supported. Surrounding the screw 33 is a coil spring 34 bearing at one end against the pivot pin 25 and having its other end adjustably positioned by nuts 35 threaded on the lower end of the screw 33. Thus the toggle resiliently bears against the'pivot pin 25 so that the shoe may yield away from the roll in accordance with the thickness of the articles passing therebetween.

The contact of the shoe with the roll or with the articles being ironed limits the forward movement of the shoe when the toggle is extended as shown in Fig. 4. When the toggle is released, a compression spring 36 (see Fig. 4) mounted in a socket in the fixed support 20 bears upwardly on the forward portion of the shoe supporting arm 23 and swings it rearwardly. In order to limit the rearward movement of the arm 23, the pivot pin 3| is made of sufficient length to extend beyond the sides of the fixed support 20 and thereby provide an abutment for the lower edge 31 of the sides of the arm 23, as shown in Fig. 1.

In ironing certain articles of relatively large area, such as sheets. table cloths, or curtains, it

is sometimes necessary in ironin the full width thereof to have the article extend beyond one or the other or both of the ends of the roll. In the present instance such ironing work may be accomplished since the space between theroll and the shoe is open at both ends because of the form and location of the roll support II and the shoe supporting means I4. However, most machines onthe market today place the controls at the right hand end of-the machine extending from or embodied in the roll supporting structure. In the case where an article being ironed extends beyond the roll at that end, such controls would be covered up by the article and rendered relatively inaccessible.

One of the principal features of the present invention is to provide a convenient control lever for shifting the shoe toward and from the roll, which is readily accessible regardless of whether the article being ironed extends over the supported end of the roll. To this end the lower toggle member 30 is provided with an upwardly extending hand lever 40 bent to extend forwardly over the shoe and roll where it may be readily grasped by the operator. For convenience a ball grip or handle 4| is mounted on the upper end of the lever 40. Thus, regardless of whether the article being ironed extends over the roll support the ball 4| may be readily grasped to shift the shoe toward and from the roll.

The shoe is preferably of the electrically heated type and may be provided with an adjustable thermostat 42 to control the heat thereof.

In ironing it is desirable to stop the rotation of the roll when the shoe is out of contact therewith in order that articles may readily be placed on the roll in preparation for ironing. For this reason provision is made in the present machine for starting and stopping the roll as an incident to moving the shoe toward and away from the roll. The roll is driven by an electric motor, the circuit of which is adapted to be controlled by a I switch operated through movement of the shoe supporting means I4.

In the preferred form the motor controlling switch, shown in Fig. 4, at 43, is mounted in the fixed support 20 and is of the spring actuated type, that is. the switch 43 is provided with an operating member 44 urged outwardly from the switch by a spring to close the motor circuit and adapted to be pressed inwardly to open the motor circuit. To operate the switch, a dog 45 is rotatably mounted on the toggle supporting pivot 3|. The dog 45 is provided with an arm 46 adapted to swing into contact with the switch operator 44 and force it against the spring action of the switch into circuit opening position. In

. order to actuate the dog 45 the toggle member 30 is provided with a downwardly extending lip 41 carrying a screw 48 which may be adjusted so that upon releasing movement of the toggle -member 30 the screw 48 contacts the arm 46 of the dog and forces it toward the switch operator 44 to operate the latter. Thus when the shoe is moved away from the roll by releasing the toggle, the dog 45 opens the switch 43 and the motor and roll stop, When the toggle is extended to move the shoe into engagement with the roll, the switch operator 44 is spring pressed outwardly to close the motor circuit.

The present machine is also adapted for use in pressing. For such operation, the roll is held stationary when the shoe is in engagement therewith. Since the switch 43 is normally closed when the shoe is in contact with the roll, manually operable means is provided for throwing outwardposition by a compression spring 53 lo-v cated within the ball. By depressing the push button 52, the wire will be longitudinally shifted to swing the dog 45 and thus move theswitch an oil'set shoulder 54 adapted to engage and hold a lug 55 formed on the side of the push button. The face of the lug 55 is slanted sufliciently so that when moved into engagement with the shoulder 54 the pressure of the spring 53 will not cause the button to disengage from the shoulder 54. Thus the push button 52 may be relea'sab-ly locked in its depressed position to prevent operation of the roll regardless of the position of the shoe.

By incorporating the push button 52 within the ball handle 4 I, the push button may be operated by the same hand used to operate the hand lever 40. Thus the ball handle 4| may be grasped in the palm of the hand, while the thumb may be simultaneously used to operate the push button 52. By so locating the push button 52, the pressing control of the machine will not be covered or rendered inaccessible by articles extending over the roll support I.

When the hand lever 48 is in operating position, as shown inFig. 4, it extends up'over the roll and shoe to a considerable height. In shipping this machine, it is desirable to pack it in a carton such as a corrugated paper carton, and from that standpoint it is desirable to have it occupy as little space as possible. In order to reduce the over-all height of the machine when packed in a carton for shipping, the hand lever 40 is so connected that it may be turned down alongside the shoe and thus occupy much less space. To this end the lower toggle member 38, to which the hand lever 48 is connected, is provided-with a socket 55 adapted to receive the lower end of the hand lever 48, and the latter is rigidly but detachably secured therein by a suitable set screw 51. To move the handle to its position alongside the parts as shown in dash and dot lines in Fig. 4, the set screw 51 is loosened and the handle withdrawn from the socket 55. However, the dog-operating wire 5| cannot be removed but because of its flexibility it may be bent. When the hand lever 48 is withdrawn from the socket by an upward movement, the wire 5| merely pulls the push button 52 inwardly of the ball handle 4|. 3

Another feature of the invention resides in, the construction of the base 18, which construction is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and provides a rigid structure amply capable of support ing, the shoe and roll and providing a concealed space for the electric wiring of the machine. To this end the base l comprises an upwardly dished sheet-metal member 68 (see Figs. ,3, 4, '1 and 8 to which the fixed support 20 and the shoe and the roll. support H are secured as by bolts. In order to reenforce and stiffen themember 58, an underlying downwardly dished sheet metal part 8| is secured thereto as by spot welding. The member 88 and the part thus provide a concealed spacetherebetween in which the electric wiringmay be located. Such wiring obviously extends to the shoe l3, to themotor control switch "and to the motor. In order to provide accessto the wi'ring, the part 5| is pro-v videdwith an aperture 62 adjacent which most cilitate assembly, the

of the wiring connections aremade. In order .to

close the aperture 82 a frictionally'r'etained e10 sure or. cap .83 is fitted within the aperture 82. Thus the part 8| not only reenforces the base, but also provides a concealed space for the wiring, the connections for which are readily accessible.

Still another important feature of. the invention resides in the construction of the rollsupport and drive.- The roll support H comprises a column portion 10 (see Fig. .3) surmounted by a hollow head 1|. The head 1| is of generally ogival form and is provided with an open end 12 projecting into the roll l2 in telescoping relation therewith. The motor, indicated at 1|, for driving the roll is located within the hollow head 1| and is supported by'a gear casing which in turn is supported by the open end of the head 1|. The gear casing is of two-part construction comprising a casing proper 14 and a cover. 15. To secure the gear casing'andcover together, and to secure the casing to the head 1|, the gear casing and cover are each provided with three ears 18 and head 1| is provided with three lugs 11, each set of which is adapted ,to receive a screw or bolt 18 threaded into the ing 11 with the gear casing cover 15 clamped between the gear casing proper 14 and the head 1|. In order to fagear casing proper 14 and the cover 15 are provided with additional ears 18 (see Fig. 2) by which they may be attached together before being secured to the head 1|. The motor 13 is secured to the gear casing cover 15 by a pair of screws 80. In order to keep the motor, cool, a fan 8| (see Fig. 3) is mounted on the motor shaft within the head 1| and air is drawn in through apertures 82 in' the head and discharged through the open end 12.

A novel form of gearing is utilized herein for driving the roll, which gearing is mounted with in the casing 14. The motor through a gear reduction operates a drive gear 83 (see Figs. 3 and 6) mounted loosely on a stub shaft 84. Tight on the stub shaft 84 is an elongated pinion 85, a portion of which meshes with a driven gear 86 secured on a roll-supporting shaft 81 extending from the gear casing 14. The pinion 85 is located adjacent one face of the drive gear'83 and in order to provide a driving connection between the gear 83 and the pinion 85, a spring-operated pawl 88 is mounted on the adjacent face of the drive gear 83 to form a one-way driving engagement with the other portion of the elongated pinion 85. Thus the motor will drive the roll in one,

direction. However, when the motor is stopped, the roll may be turned by hand in the forward direction because. of the pawl connection of the pinion and the drive gear 83.

Operation on the roll. ing. If it is The roll at such time isnot rotatdesired to move the, front edge. of.

the article into, the, space betweentheroll and,

the shoe before the shoe is moved up into contact therewith, the roll may be freely rotated because of, the pawl and ratchet connection of the pawl 88 mounted on the drive gear 83 and the engagement thereof with the pinion 85.

To shift the shoe towardthe roll, the. ball hane dle 4| of the hand lever 48 is grasped and moved forwardly to extend the toggle comprising the members 38 and 32,

w swinging the, shoe suppo t-, ing arm 23 forwardly on its vpivot.2i'., l3y such movement of the toggle member 88 the. screw. 48

secured in the lower end thereof is moved rearwardly. permitting the spring in the switch 43 to throw the switch operator 44 outwardly, thus closing the motor circuit to cause rotation of the roll. The action of the spring in the switch 43 also throws the dog 45 to the full line position thereof shown in Fig. 4.

During the operation of the machine, should it be desired to press the article between the roll and the shoe, the push button 52 in the ball handle 4| may be depressed to shift the wire longitudinally and thus swing the dog 45 to its dotted line position, thereby opening the switch 43 and stopping the motor. If the pressing is to be for just a short time, the button 52 may beheld depressed by the thumb. However, if the operator desires to continue the pressing operation and to utilize both hands for other purposes, the push button 5i may be locked in its depressed position, as shown in Fig. 5, by shifting it laterally so that the lug 55 thereon engages the shoulder 54 on the interior of the ball handle 4!. When the push button is released, the compression spring 53 forces it outwardly, thus shifting the wire 5| and permitting the switch 43 to move to the circuit closing position.

Since the space between the roll and the shoe is open at both ends, articles of greater width than the length of the roll may be permitted to extend from either or both ends thereof. Thus when the article extends beyond the right hand or supported end of the roll, the articles does not prevent access to the control members because the latter are located centrally above the roll. This is a great convenience to an operator over the type of machine in which the control members are located on or adjacent the roll supporting means.

To move the shoe away from the roll, the hand lever 40 is shifted rearwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby releasing the toggle and permitting the compression spring 36 to throw the shoe supporting arm 23 rearwardly. To limit the rearward movement of the shoe, the lower edge 31 of the shoe supporting arm 23 rests on the projecting ends of the toggle lever pivot 31. With the releasing movement of the toggle, the screw 48 in the lower end thereof engages the dog 45 and shifts it inwardly to its dotted line position, shown in Fig. 4, thereby moving the switch operator 4!) to circuit opening position and thus stopping the motor.

The machine when shipped to the customer is preferably packed in a corrugated cardboard container, and in order that the latter may be as small as possible, the over-all height of the machine is reduced by loosening the set screw 51 in the lower toggle member 30 and turning the hand lever 40 to a position alongside the shoe, -as indicated in dash and dot lines in Fig. 4. The sheet metal construction of the base 60 and its. reenforcing part 6| provide ,a simple but light and the gear casing and cover are first secured together by a bolt extending through the cars 19 thereof, and then the two, with the motor mounted on the cover, are secured to the head by the screws 18.

Fr. m the foregoing, it will be evident that I have provided a novel ironing machine of the roll and shoe type of such weight and size that it is readily portable, which has substantially the same capacity as many much heavier poweractuated machines, and which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction. The controls for shifting the shoe toward and from the roll and for stopping the roll for pressing, are located in a convenient manner, particularly because they are not covered and thereby rendered inaccessible by large articles being ironed.

The base is of lightweight inexpensive but amply rigid construction, providing concealed space for the wiring. The motor and gearing mounting may be readily assembled and is so located as to give a pleasing external appearance to the machine. In the gearing the use of the elongated pinion 85 both to drive the roll shift gear 86 and to be utilized as a ratchet also simplifies the construction. By turning the hand lever 40 down alongside the shoe, 9. minimum space is required for shipping.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, means for effecting relative movement between the roll and shoe toward and from each other, a manually operable member for causing such movement, means for causing rotation of the roll upon engagement of the roll and shoe and for stopping said roll upon separation thereof, and a manually operable element incorporated in said member and shiftable longitudinally thereof at the will of the operator for preventing operation of the roll when said roll and shoe are in engagement.

2. In an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, means for effecting relative movement between the roll and shoe toward and from each other, a member for causing such movement and having a portion arranged to be grasped by one hand, means for causin rotation of the roll upon engagement of the roll and shoe and for stopping said roll upon separation thereof, and an element operable at the will of the operator to prevent operation of the roll when said roll and shoe are in engagement and located closely adjacent said portion so that it may be operated by inexpensive support for the shoe and roll. They 5 also provide a concealed space therebetween for the electric wiring of the machine, the connections of which are readil accessible by removing the friction cover 63.

The arrangement of the motor 13 and the gearing within the gear case 14 provides a neat apmachine because of the form of the head H and the concealment of these parts therein and within the roll. The assembly of the gear case proper and its cover, and the motor onto the machine is simplified by virtue f the fact that pouring the same hand while said hand is in engagement with said portion.

3. In an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, means for effecting relative movement between the roll and shoe toward and from each other, a member for causing such movement extending upwardly and forwardly over the roll and-shoe and having a handle on its upper forward end so that it may be readily operated by one hand, means for causing rotation of the roll upon engagement of the roll and shoe and for stopping said roll upon separation thereof, and a finger operated element operable at the will of the operator to prevent rotation of the roll when said'roll and shoe are in engagement and located in such proximity to said handle as to be readily operated by the same hand and at the same time.

4. In an ironing machine, the combination of a rotatable roll, means for driving the roll, a shoe, pivotally mounted shoe supporting means for shifting the shoe toward and from the roll, a tubular lever extending from said means for shifting the shoe, and a longitudinally shiftable control member for said driving means extending through said tubular lever and operable to prevent operation of the roll when the latter is in engagement with the shoe.

5. In an ironing machine, the combination of a rotatable roll, means for driving the roll, a shoe, pivotally mounted shoe supporting means for shifting the shoe toward and from the roll, a tubular lever extending from said means for shifting the shoe and provided with a handle portion, a wire extending through said tubular lever and shiftable longitudinally to prevent operation of the roll by said driving means when the roll is in engagement with the shoe, and a depressible button mounted in said handle portion for shifting said wire and lockable in its depressed position.

6. In an ironing machine, the combination of a rotatable roll, means for driving the roll, a shoe, pivotally mounted shoe supporting means for shifting the shoe toward and from the roll, a tubular lever extending from said means for shifting the shoe and provided with a hollow ball at its end, a wire extending through said tubular lever and shiftable longitudinally to prevent operation of the roll by said driving means when the roll is in engagement with the shoe, and a spring pressed depressible button mounted in said ball for shifting said wire, said ball and said button being provided with coacting ledges to releasably hold said button in its depressed position.

7. In an ironing machine, the combination of a rotatable roll, a shoe, means for supporting said shoe for shifting it toward and from said roll, a motor for driving said roll, a switch for controlling said motor adapted to close and open in response to the movement of said means to shift the shoe toward and from said roll in such manner that said motor can operate only when the shoe and roll are in engagement, and manually operable means for holding said switch -open when the shoe and roll are in engagement.

8. In an ironing machine, the combination of a rotatable roll, a shoe, means for supporting said shoe for shifting it toward and from said roll, a motor for driving said roll, a switch mounted adjacent said means for controlling said motor, said means including a part adapted to operate said switch upon movement of said means, whereby said motor can operate only when the shoe and roll are in engagement, and independently operable means mounted in said shoe supporting means for holding the switch open when the shoe and roll are in engagement.

9. In an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, a fixed support, an arm pivotally mounted on said support, a shoe pivotally mounted on said arm, a toggle having one member pivoted on said support and the other connected to said arm for shifting the shoe toward and from the roll, a motor for rotating the roll, a switch mounted on said fixed support for controlling the motor, and a pivoted dog mounted on said support adjacent said toggle for operating said switch and being operated by movement of the toggle.

10. In an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, a fixed support, an arm pivotally mounted on said support, said shoe being pivotally mounted on said arm, a toggle having one member pivoted on said support and the other connected to said arm for shifting the shoe toport for controlling the motor, a dog coaxially pivoted on said fixed support with said toggle member and arranged when swung to operate said switch, and a screw adjustably mounted insaid toggle member and in contact with said dog for operating the latter upon movement of the toggle member.

11. In an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, a swingable arm supporting said shoe for moving said shoe toward and from the roll, a toggle for swinging said arm, a motor, a fixedly mounted switch for controlling said motor, a dog for openin said switch, said toggle being adapted to operate said dog to open said switch when the shoe is moved away from the roll, and manually operable means for operating said dog independently of said toggle to hold said switch open when the shoe and roll are in engagement.

12. In an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, means for swingablysupporting said shoe including a socket, a handle for operating said means mounted in said socket and extending up over the shoe and roll, a motor for driving the roll, a switch for controlling the motor, and means for operating said switch including a longitudinally movable flexible wire extending through the handle, said handle being withdrawable from said socket and arranged to be turned with said wire alongside the shoe to occupy a minimum space in shipping.

13. In an ironing machine comprising a roll, an electrically heated shoe, an electric motor for driving the roll, a support for supporting said roll and motor, a support for said shoe, said supports being spaced from each other, a base for said supports made of sheet metal upwardly dished to provide substantial height and having a downwardly dished reenforcing and stifiening member mounted under and within the height of the base thereby providing a closed space to receive and conceal the wiring for the motor and shoe, said member having an aperture in its lower face to provide access to the wiring, and a closure frictionally retained in said aperture.

14. In an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, a fixed support, an upright channel-shaped arm for swinging said shoe and pivotally mounted on said support, a lever for operating said arm and extending within the channel of said arm, and a pivot pin for said lever mounted in said support, the ends of said pin extending beyond the lever on both sides thereof and thereby lying in the path of the lower edges of the sides of said arm to provide an abutment limiting the swinging movement of said arm,

15. In an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, a fixed support, a channel-shaped arm pivotally supported at its lower end by said support and pivotally supporting the shoe at its upper end, toggle mechanism mounted within said channel-shaped arm for shifting said arm and thereby moving said shoe into and out of engagement with said roll, said mechanism including a movable member closing the open side of said channel-shaped member, and spring means for resiliently urging the shoe toward the roll, and a handle extending upwardly over the roll and shoe and operatively connected to the toggle mechanism.

16. in an ironing machine, the combination of a roll, a shoe, a swingable arm supporting said shoe for moving said shoe toward and from the roll, manually operable means for swinging said am, a motor, a switch or controlling said motor, a dog for opening said switch, said manually operable mean including a member adapted to operate said dog to open said switch when the shoe is moved away from the roll, and a second manually operable means for moving said dog to a position for holding the switch open when the shoe engages the roll whereby movement of said member will not affect said switch.

17, An ironing machine comprising a presser roll, an ironer shoe movable toward and away therefrom by toggle levers supporting the ironer shoe, a.hand lever conveniently located near the v center and above the roll and associated, with the toggle levers for moving the shoe, mechanical means operable by the movements of the said hand lever in movingv the shoe to control the presser roll, and manually operable means carried by the hand lever for controlling the presser roll independently of the movement of the hand lever in moving the shoe.

18. An ironing machine comprising a presser roll, a motor for rotating the roll, a presser ironer shoe, cooperable with the presser roll, a hand lever located near the center and above the roll for moving the ironer shoe into and out of engagement with the presser roll, a button mounted on the upper end of the hand lever for controlling the presser roll motor and means independent of the hand lever button for con trolling the starting and stopping of the motor when the ironer shoe is moved into and out of engagement with the presser roll. a a

19. An ironing machine comprising-a presser roll, an electric motor for driving the roll, an

ironer shoe cooperable with the roll/a hand lever located near the center and above the roll for moving the ironer shoe toward and away from the roll, an electric switch engageable by the movement of the hand lever for controlling the electric motor and a manual button control carried by the hand lever for controlling the electric motor switch independent of the hand lever operated switch control means.

20. An ironing machining comprising a presser roll, an electric motor for driving the presser center of and above the presser roll to operate the switch and interrupt the circuit through the electric motor when the shoe is away from the roll, and *manual means carried by the hand lever for operating the switch and interrupting the circuit through the motor independent of the hand lever control means when the ironer shoe is in engagement with the presser roll.

WILLIAM H. BRADLEY. 

